Thranduil's Heart
by anneikenskywalker
Summary: A fairy tale told to an infant reveals the story of Thranduil, his true nature and his transformation from a jovial young prince into a once mighty king and then into a broken man. But, many years later, history is repeating itself. Can the lessons of Thranduil's past help save Legolas' future?
1. Chapter 1

[[[Hello Everyone. This is just PART ONE of a two chapter saga I'm writing in response to a friend's request for a LOTR fanfic about Thranduil and Legolas as prompted by the new HOBBIT movie. I'm a fan of the books and of the movies, but I'm not a die hard LOTR groupie. I respect the world and tried to be as accurate as possible, (though it's been awhile since I've read the books) but this is _fan fiction,_ so please criticize the writing if you must, but not the logistics of the stories, the characters, the language, etc. I do not claim to be JRR Tolkien or the wise sage who knows EVERYTHING about Middle Earth. This was written for fun and as a request fulfillment for a friend who loved my Loki/Nari story line in "Something Worth Fighting For" and asked for a Dad/son fic for Thranduil and Legolas. And since I'm trying to fight writers block as I finish my other fanfics, I obliged. With that being said-Disclaimer over... Enjoy :)]]]

_**"****O**__**nce, many lifetimes of men past, there was a young elven prince who lived with his father and brothers in the northern realm of Beleriand. **_

_**As time passed, a great war divided the kingdom and forced the prince and his family to find a new homeland. **_

_**By this time, the prince had grown tall, strong, brave, loyal and true and was a skilled warrior with a jovial spirit and a keen mind.**_

_** And he would need all of these to face what was to come…**_

_**For there was a time when there were whispers of a power growing in the east—a dark sorcerer who claimed dominion over men and beast. And with this spreading shadow over the mountains and the woodland realm, the elven prince and his father, King Oropher, and their kin joined the last alliance of elves and men to fight back the darkness.**_

_**But, a heavy price was paid in the Battle of Dagorland as Oropher, the King of Greenwood the Great and the woodland realm, fell.**_

_**It was in that moment, that Prince Thranduil stepped forward and picked up his father's standard, leading his people to victory against the armies of Mordor.  
><strong>_

_**After the great battle, very few of the legion that left the Greenwood returned and the young Prince became king—the next in his father's line. And for a time, there was no darkness in the woodland realm, only light.**_

_**Not long after his return, King Thranduil fell deeply in love with a sylvan elf—beautiful and strong, with long, wavy hair as red as the flame of the setting sun..."  
><strong>_

Lord Elrond of Rivendell paused for a moment, his eyes softening before he looked down to the newborn elfling lying in the crook of his arm, her blue eyes watching him intently, still quietly listening to his story while sucking on her fist.

He smiled as he watched the infant wrap its other small hand around his finger when he continued in a sweet, melodic voice.

"_**In time, the queen gave birth to their only child, a beloved son, for whom the newly crowned king wished only peace and happiness.**_

_**But, it was not to be... **_

_**For, a mere two lifetimes later, the king was called from his homeland to the north to fight the great fire-breathers who ravaged, killed and plundered all things precious without any thought or remorse. Fearing that the fire would spread to destroy all that he held dear, the King left his family and kin and rode to the northern land at the head of his army. **_

_**While he was away, the light that had graced his homeland, once again faded into darkness as whispers once again crept in to the Greenwood. **_

_**To protect their homeland, Thandruil's queen, Laetherial, a warrior in her own right, led a small elven militia force to the edge of the realm, where legions of orcs had been sighted gathering near the dwarf ancestral mountain of Gundebad and fell bravely in battle. **_

_**It was upon his return to the Greenwood that the king, badly injured in his battles with the great serpents, but victorious, learned the devastating news of his wife's death. **_

_**It is said that his heart hardened at the moment the words were spoken to him and all warmth and light left his soul, so much so that not even the sight of his beloved son could ease his pain. **_

_**The great elven king, in his sorrow, turned away from world and a dark magic once again settled over the land, turning the once green and lush wood into the Mirkwood and, many years later, under this same shadow, the king's beloved son departed his father's service.  
><strong>_

_**With his son gone and his kingdom fallen, it is said that often the light of the moon casts a shadow on the once and mighty king alone in the room that was once occupied by his wife. **_

_**But, little does he know, that a beautiful baby princess now awaits in a nearby realm for the day when she and her father can journey home to the great woodland realm of their people and bring beauty, light and meaning to the king's life so that the palace may re-open its doors, the Mirkwood may be green once again and the broken king may be again reunited with his beloved son…**_

_**So that they all might live... happily…ever…after…**__**"**_

# # # # # # #

The large gate to the cavern palace of the Woodland realm opened just as a white horse and rider thundered through, the elven messenger gracefully swinging down from the horse's back before the animal even came to a halt and quickly approaching the three guards posted at the mouth of the courtyard.

"_Vedui'_ ..." the messenger greeted in elvish before continuing in the common tongue, "I bring word for King Thranduil from Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

"We wish no word from Elrond of Rivendell," the Captain of the guard said in a calm, but haughty tone, straightening to full height, "Leave now and you may cross our boarders safely before night falls upon you. _Namaarie_."

"King Thranduil _will _want to hear what Lord Elrond has to say…" the dark haired messenger insisted, stepping closer to the Captain as he made a motion to reach into the leather satchel around his torso. But, he immediately found two crossed elven blades blocking his path, wielded by the two other guards in protection of their leader.

Through the blades, the messenger and the Captain eyed each other for a tense moment before the messenger spoke first.

"It concerns his son, Prince Legolas…" he continued, retrieving, not a weapon from his satchel, but a scroll of parchment and held it out in front of him.

Upon seeing this, the Captain of the guard spoke to the two others in elvish and bid them to lower their weapons.

"_Tampa…lava…"_ he said sternly, holding up a hand and the blades were quickly relinquished.

The messenger continued slowly forward and offered the scroll to the Captain, who narrowed his eyes before carefully plucking it from the elf's hand and unfolding it.

After a few moments of reading the words on the parchment, he stiffly re- rolled the scroll and handed it back to the messenger before nodding curtly.

He then turned to the guard on his right and stated softly, "Ready the King's elk. He will wish to depart before twilight for Rivendell."

"Yes, my lord," The guard saluted, then walked away quickly.

At which point the Captain turned back to the messenger...

"Come," he motioned solemnly with his right hand before placing it with his left behind his back and turning on his heel to lead the elf through the courtyard entrance and into the reception hall that lead to the throne room of King Thranduil of the Mirkwood.

# # # # # # # #

It was a three day journey from the Mirkwood to Rivendell and, on the third day, Thranduil and his legion of thirty guards arrived at mid-day with the horns of the Eldar sounding their arrival through the gates of the elven city and the King of the Mirkwood riding upon his elk in the center of the formation.

Lord Elrond and his attendants stood upon the grand staircase that led to the main courtyard, watching intently as the elves from the Mirkwood came to a halt before them and formed ranks around their king as Thranduil dismounted from his elk and glided gracefully through the rows of soldiers as they saluted him, then pivoted to clear a path for him to the staircase before falling into line again behind him once he had passed.

When he had climbed the staircase and finally stood face to face with Lord Elrond, the two men saluted each other before Lord Elrond greeted the king in elvish.

"_Creoso, mellonaminurned. Nae saian luume'_…" he said and Thranduil nodded kindly then followed Lord Elrond up the stairs, leaving his circle of attendants behind them.

When they reached the quiet anonymity of the courtyard, Thranduil and Elrond stopped and turned to face each other to speak more candidly.

There was a tense moment of silence as the two men eyed each other, unsure of what to say, then Thranduil broke the silence and spoke formally in the common tongue.

"It has been many lifetimes of dwarves and men since I have graced the halls of Rivendell with my presence," he said, his eyes now wandering around at the majestic surroundings, then his voice lowered and refocused his eyes upon Lord Elrond as he bowed his head as respectfully as possible, "I am grateful for word of my son and for your invitation, Lord Elrond…I know that it was not given without reservation."

Lord Elrond took in a breath then bowed stiffly in return, "It was not. But, the past has no place between us, Thranduil, son of Oropher, especially in times like these when we must consider the lives of those we love…and I know that the children of your sacred line are as dear to you as mine are to me."

Thranduil closed his eyes for a moment as if wishing away painful memories, then with a resolved nod opened them, focusing his gaze intently on Elrond.

Unlike Lord Elrond, Thranduil had only been blessed with only one child, his son Legolas. But, that didn't make the words any less true.

"With those words being spoken, I wish to look upon the continuation of my sacred line," Thranduil said softly, as he took a measured step forward and clasped his hands behind his back, "Where is she? Where is my grandchild?"

# # # # # #

The Rivendell guards saluted Lord Elrond and stood aside in line formation as the two men made their way down the stone path and through the grand courtyard and up two separate winding staircases to the main veranda over-looking the north port to the sea, Lord Elrond leading the way.

Once they reached the top of the staircase, Lord Elrond slowed his approach and, with a look to Thranduil over his shoulder, swept himself aside to reveal the scene before them on the veranda—a young elf maiden leaning over a large wooden cradle bed, ornately carved and decorated in flowers and vines with a veil of woven tulle draped over the canopy top.

"_Kela…_" Lord Elrond said in elvish, kindly bidding the nurse maid to leave them.

The maiden nodded to Lord Elrond then smiled down to the cradle before taking her leave of the two men and exiting past them down the main staircase.

Once they were alone, Lord Elrond's gaze turned again to Thranduil and he watched as the elven king took in a short breath to steel himself, then started gliding slowly forward toward the cradle.

Within moments, his slow deliberate movements had him circling the cradle where Lord Elrond could see his face begin to soften and his eyes open slightly wider in awe as he looked down through the tulle and beheld the small newborn lying beneath—his granddaughter.

There were a few moments of silence as Elrond watched Thranduil study the infant intently, cocking his head as he pulled his hands behind his back and slowly leaned forward for a closer look.

When he pulled back a few seconds later, Thranduil found Lord Elrond now at his side.

The elven king regarded the Lord of Rivendell out of the corner of his eye for a moment before he spoke, his gaze falling again upon the tiny, fair haired infant slumbering in the cradle below them.

"Such a small, fragile thing…" Thranduil said softly, his face expressionless

"_Re naa vanima_ …" Lord Elrond replied in elvish, a small smile gracing his lips before he turned to Thranduil and continued in the common tongue, "And her life force is very strong."

"That's because she takes after her father…" Thranduil said in a whispered, thoughtful tone, "She does so remind me of him at that age…"

Lord Elrond looked from Thranduil to the infant, then back to the elven king.

"Would you like to hold her?" he inquired, quirking an eyebrow

Thranduil's own brow narrowed uncertainly for a moment before he took a measured step back from the cradle and shook his head slightly.

"No…" was his immediate response, "It's been a _very_ long time since I've held an elfling…"

"Do not fear," Lord Elrond replied, trying to put Thranduil at ease, "Even after a thousand years, it is a skill that never leaves you."

He then turned to the cradle and slowly leaned forward, reaching out his long, thin and gentle hands to take hold of the infant and lift her out.

"Sha…sha…quel kaima, lirimaer…" Elrond spoke soft elvish to the infant to calm her as the movement began to stir her from her sleep, causing her to whimper softly but never open her eyes.

Thranduil watched, intrigued, as Elrond cradled the elfling in the crook of his arm while he skillfully wrapped her silver woven blankets tighter around her.

He then turned on his heel to face Thranduil.

Thranduil's nostrils flared nervously as Lord Elrond slowly closed the distance between them and it soon became clear that the King of the Mirkwood was going to find himself holding the elfling whether he wanted to or not.

Therefore, accepting his fate, he straightened to his full height as he stepped forward and received the small mass of blankets from Lord Elrond, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he tried to remember where he needed to place his hands to properly support the infant.

When the elfling was safely in Thranduil's arms, Lord Elrond took a step back and let his gaze fall on the scene of Thranduil and his grandchild.

"Oh…" the elven king gasped softly, almost absentmindedly, as the infant awoke and looked up to him with Legolas' wide and curious eyes as Thranduil laid her along his forearm with her head gently cradled in his hand, "Hello, little one…"

The elfling cooed in response and brought its tiny, wrinkled fingers to its mouth and Lord Elrond couldn't help but notice the small smirk that crossed Thranduil's lips as he continued to gaze down upon the child in awe, seemingly surprised that the elfling was just as taken with him as he was with her. It was as close to a genuine smile as the elven king had come to in over a thousand years.

"What is her name?" Thranduil suddenly asked, never taking his adoring eyes from the infant and Lord Elrond sighed and his smile faded as he brought his hands in front of him and folded them thoughtfully.

"She has not been given a name," he responded, his eyes softening, "Legolas has refused to see the child and therefore, has yet to bestow a name upon her. It has been nearly a month…"

Thranduil lifted his gaze from the infant to Lord Elrond, concern creeping into his regal blueish gray eyes, "Then, his grief is truly as terrible as you have written."

Lord Elrond nodded, then continued, "Yes… He needs guidance. He will not speak to or listen to what I have to say. I have tried many times. I believe it is _your_ guidance that he needs now. Perhaps, it is you to whom he will speak—you, whose council he will abide."

Thranduil sighed forlornly, then stepped forward and within a few strides, leaned forward over the cradle and gently placed the infant back into it, making sure that her blankets were arranged snugly around her.

"Legolas left the Mirkwood many lifetimes ago," Thranduil continued, watching the infant for another moment as she fell back to sleep, before pulling back and turning to look at Elrond, "And, in that time, we've barely spoken. He has strayed from that path of life and no longer answers to his king, seeks his advice or does his will—"

"And what of his _father_?" Lord Elrond interjected with a raised eyebrow and watched Thranduil stiffen immediately at his words, his eyes softening with sadness as the Lord of Rivendell continued, "What of the man who shares his blood and who knows from his own experience the kind of pain such grief can cause? Will he not listen to _him_? Will he not hear _his _words?"

Thranduil narrowed his eyes and now studied Lord Elrond intensely as the dark haired elf quickly closed the distance between them in one swift movement, his brown eyes imploring and his voice turning to a whisper, "Your son needs you, Thranduil. You have traveled this path before...you know the way back. You can lead him out of the darkness that consumes his heart. Will you not help him?"


	2. Chapter 2

_[[Hello Everyone. Thanks for returning as I finish with Chapter 2. I hope you all like it. I've surprisingly received a couple of PMs from from some readers who feel I should continue with this story line. If you also feel this way, let me know and I'll see what I can do and I'd be open to suggestions. But, originally this was just meant to be a short piece and don't get your hopes up for too much fluff. I have tried to keep the characters true to themselves, especially Thranduil. Though, this will punch the gut with some emotion. The requester of this fanfic also asked for some music in this at some point, so be aware that while that's not exactly my bag, I indulged them. The music used in the short chase scene at the beginning is "Scotland"_by the Lumineers. There is a link to listen to it here: watch?v=_1e003r0KUM. Enjoy!]]

It had been over a thousand years since the guards of Rivendell and Mirkwood had been seen working together, but sadly the only true witnesses to this awe inspiring moment were the beasts of the forests surrounding the fore mentioned elven city.

At nearly twilight on the day of King Thranduil's arrival to the city, and though his guards had hoped for a much needed rest after such a long journey, their king had beseeched a handful of them to join Lord Elrond's own personal guard for a special task…

**# # # # # # # **

A deer grazing quietly with her fawn in the forest quickly looked up as the sudden rustling of foliage nearby soon brought a quick moving figure of green and white dashing past them—it's breathing heavy, but its footsteps light.

The deer watched after the figure for a moment, then startled when it heard the horn of the Rivendell guard nearby and raced off with its young just seconds before six elven guards clad in gold and silver armor and armed with swords and crossbows upon their backs raced past on foot after the figure, followed closely behind by five more elves on horseback that branched off the trail and moved into the brush in surrounding formation.

_**They all need something to hold on to,  
>They all mean well…<strong>_

Legolas Greenleaf looked back quickly over his shoulder, taking notice of the guards on his tail, then turned forward again, just in time to leap high over a fallen tree truck on the forest path and smirking as his feet hit the path on the other side and he kept running.

_**Pay your respects to society giving me Hell…**_

Seconds later the guards followed, leaping over the tree trunk with ease in pursuit of the Prince of the Greenwood.

But, after a hundred yards, the Captain of the Mirkwood guard suddenly halted, watching as the other members of the guard continued forward on foot.

_**You could never feel my story,  
>It's all you know…<strong>_

The Captain narrowed his eyes as he cocked his head and turned in a circle, his instincts open to something that he couldn't quite pinpoint, but had compelled him to stop none the less.

After a moment, he took a step back off of the path and turned to a large white oak tree there, reaching out and running his hand gracefully over the front bark and noticing a slight disturbance there.

_**You could never feel my story  
>It's all you know…<strong>_

_**Oh…**_

But, mere moments after his fingers touched the bark, a swift, graceful figure swung down from the tree branches above, hitting the Captain squarely in the chest with its feet and knocking him to the ground.

The guard hit the ground with a soft thud, but in seconds was on his feet again and facing his attacker, narrowing his eyes in recognition when he discovered it to be Prince Legolas.

_**Oh…**_

Legolas smirked good-naturedly as he looked the guard up and down then unsheathed his sword and watched the Captain unsheathe his own before removing his helmet and throwing it aside.

With the niceties observed, the two men started circling other before engaging in graceful battle.

_**May your dreams come to reality  
>If all else fails…<strong>_

Legolas had just pivoted and ran up the side of a large boulder and somersaulted over the Captain, when three of the guards on horseback arrived and swooped down from their horses to aide their leader.

_**Give up, we needed the company  
>Let's drink to your health…<strong>_

One immediately tried to grab the prince from behind, but Legolas leaned forward just as the Captain swung his sword and the blade glided over him and hit hard against the armor of the guard behind Legolas, causing the man to fall backward and his blade to fall to the forest floor.

_**You could never feel my story  
>It's all you know…<strong>_

Legolas quickly fell to the ground and rolled to the side and picked up the man's blade.

And coming up with two swords in hand, the prince simultaneously fought the Captain and second guard who had just arrived to take the place of the man who hand fallen.

When Legolas had bested the young guard on his left, he kicked his feet out from under him and he landed on top of his fellow guardsmen on the ground.

_**You could never feel my story  
>It's all you know…<strong>_

Without looking behind him, he sensed the approach of the third guard as he now leaped from the large boulder at Legolas' back and while still engaging the Captain with his right arm, tossed the sword in his left hard over his left shoulder with stunning accuracy, striking the third guard in the upper arm, where his armor was weak, and sending him to the ground with a sharp cry.

_**Oh…**_

Legolas then turned again to the Captain of the guard and, when the moment presented itself, threw aside his sword and, dodging the blows from the man as he kept swinging, drew his bow.

Without fear or remorse he strode closer to the Captain and swiftly fired an arrow into the man's hand and the Captain cried out in pain and finally dropped his sword.

_**I will not fold…**_

The Captain tried to sweep Legolas off of his feet with his right leg, but the young prince leaped up like he saw the move coming and flew over the man's head and onto the man's back, knocking him down so that he was pinned under Legolas' knees.

_**She's in control….**_

The Captain watched upside down as Legolas gracefully fired off another succession of arrows that hit the elven guards still piled a few feet away at certain points in their armor that would pin them to the ground to keep them from coming to their feet.

_**Of everyone and everything….**_

With the task complete, the Captain heard a voice in his ear.

"Tell my father to _stop_ trying to find me. I do not wish to be found…"

The Captain of then Mirkwood then winced as the strong knees released his shoulders and, when they did, he rolled himself quickly to his feet and looked around.

But, Prince Legolas was already gone.

# # # # # # # # #

Two hours later, Thranduil's eyes softened in silent relief as he brought his elk to a halt at the forest edge as he looked out to the cliff face overlooking the waterfalls where Legolas sat, looking up at the stars.

Within moments, the two Rivendell guards that had been accompanying the king through the forest appeared at his side and prepared to dismount, but Thranduil glanced back to them briefly when he sensed their presence and silently waived them off.

They looked reluctantly at each other for a moment before they turned and retreated back into the forest line, watching the elven king over their shoulders as he dismounted gracefully and walked forward toward his son.

"I thought I told your guards that I did not wish to be found…" Legolas said in a low voice, still looking ahead, but sensing his father's approach

"I don't know what you speak of…" Thranduil scoffed good- naturedly as he came to his son's side and looked out upon the view from the cliff, "I've been in that tree line behind you for some time now. It was _you_ that found to _me_, not the other way around. And here I thought you were never going to come…"

Legolas smirked as he looked up to his father above him for a moment and he watched the elven king's posture straighten as he brought his hands behind his back—his face expressionless.

A few moments of silence passed before Thranduil spoke again

"I have seen my grandchild…" he said slowly, keeping his eyes fixed ahead as he stated bluntly, "She is quite beautiful."

Legolas closed his eyes in pain

Thranduil, sensing his son's pain in the uncomfortable silence that ensued, looked down to his feet in thought for a few moments then said, "I understand from Lord Elrond that her mother was quite beautiful as well…and that she died not long after the child was born."

"Yes," Legolas replied, opening his eyes and looked up again to the stars, "I lost her."

Thranduil sighed as he now turned to his son, "I am sorry for you. Grief is a natural emotion, Legolas, but it is the most dangerous in that it can blind you and, if you are not careful, consume you."

Legolas scoffed as he closed his eyes again and rose quickly to his feet.

"Father, why are you here?" he asked indignantly, now coming face to face with Thranduil as Thranduil narrowed his eyes, questioning his son's meaning and Legolas continued, "You are the very last person from whom I would expect to arrive and give forth a lesson in grief. If I remember correctly, yours destroyed you ."

Thranduil furrowed his brow for a moment, then ran his eyes up and down the figure of his son before him, "Your posture, the tension in your shoulders, the pain in your eyes and the anger stirring in your soul…You have no concept of who you remind me of at this moment, do you, my son?"

Legolas just narrowed his own eyebrows and Thranduil gave a small smirk.

"Me," He said as he brought his hands from behind his back and stepped forward, "That is _why_ I am here—why Lord Elrond sent for me."

Legolas flinched slightly as the Thranduil closed the distance between himself and his son

"Not the answer you were expecting?" Thranduil inquired, his features softening as he now circled his son slowly, "I am sorry to disappoint you. I'm sure it's not the first time. But, I do not wish you to _ever _become me, Legolas."

Legolas opened his mouth to speak, but Thranduil continued as he moved, "It is true that I _have_ felt the unfathomable grief you feel now, my son, but you are wrong to believe that I let it destroy me completely. Believe me when I tell you, that I could have come to worse ends by my grief... You may or may not know this, but your mother was my one soul mate in this life—my reason for being—and I loved her more deeply than my own life. And when someone you love_ so completely_ leaves so suddenly, it can thrust you onto a dark and treacherous path. I will not deceive you, it takes a long time to navigate…" then, as he came to Legolas' side once more, he brought his bright blue-gray eyes up to the stars blanketing the night sky, "But, if you let them, there _are_ stars to guide the way. Sometimes the fog of your mind, your pain and anguish, shields them from your gaze. But, if you know where to look, there _are_ some that shine brighter than all the others—and it is _they_ who keep you from spending your nights in total darkness. It is _they_ that give you a reason to look forward to the day and keep you from fearing the return of night…"

Thranduil took in a shallow breath before he continued in a soft tone, "_You_ were _my _brightest star, Legolas…Though, it took me a long time to see it."

Legolas' eyes widened as he turned to his father just as Thranduil brought his gaze from the sky and now turned to face his son.

"I will not deceive you and say that there wasn't a time after your mother left this world when I did not look at you with pain in my heart. In point of fact, I refused to see you willingly for almost two years after her death."

Thranduil looked away, ashamed, for a moment before he brought his gaze back to his son and Legolas saw his father's eyes soften.

"But, one day, I remember I was walking through the corridor on the way to a council meeting, when I heard the most jovial sound coming from your bedchamber," and he smirked at the memory, "You were laughing and it sounded so much like your mother—joyful and without abandon—that it drew me to you. I opened the door and you ran forward immediately and grasped my leg. 'Ada! Ada!' you cried joyfully as though we had never been parted. And, in that moment, for the first time in a long time...I felt something _other than_ pain."

Legolas smiled softly

"I know that I have never been the warmest of fathers, Legolas," Thranduil continued, stepping forward placing a gentle hand on his son's shoulder, much to the prince's surprise, "Nor the kindest or wisest of Eldar or kings. And I freely admit that I very nearly lost the battle with my own grief—I almost lost my way—and I _have_ never quite healed. You see my wounds were deep, and even to this day, are _still_ open and have never really scarred over. But, if I never get another chance to tell you in this lifetime or if we never meet again after this, I wish you to know that if it were not for _you_, my beloved son—raising you, training and teaching you, and watching you grow—I _truly_ would not have survived it."

"Ada—" Legolas began, his eyes filling with deep emotion, but Thranduil interjected quickly, slowly pulling his hand away as he continued

"You have lost your love, Legolas. It is right to grieve. But, no matter how much pain you feel, do not let yourself remain on the path of solitude and darkness…_do not_ shut out other sources of love. Look for the stars, my son, and you may just discover your own child could be your brightest guide. My wish for you is to realize this_ so much_ sooner than I did, Legolas, so that you might have a chance to heal your wounds and, if they must, have time to let them scar…but, heal none the less. Do not turn your back on your daughter. Give her a name, hold her close to you and watch her grow."

# # # # # # # # #

It was late, but Lord Elrond wanted to look in on the infant one more time before he retired.

He smiled as he leaned over her cradle, stroking the elfling's cheek as she cooed, kicking her feet under her blankets.

After a few moments, he pulled back and straightened to his full height and it was then that he noticed two tall figures looming in the doorway of the bedchamber.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he made out the figures of the King of the Mirkwood and his son and watched intently as Thranduil put a hand on Legolas' shoulder and gently nudged him forward with an encouraging nod.

The Prince gave a nervous look to his father before entering the room and walking at a measured pace toward Lord Elrond and the cradle.

Legolas nodded to Lord Elrond and the lord of Rivendell watched as he the prince let out a small gasp when he finally came to a halt and peered through the canopy top at the infant lying below.

Then, glancing over to Lord Elrond, asked, "May I?"

Elrond nodded, another smile crossing his face.

"Of course..." he said and watched Legolas turn back to the cradle and tentatively lean forward, picking up the infant and bringing her to his chest.

The infant fussed for a moment before Legolas stroked her arm under her blanket to comfort her.

"_Aiya… Sha…sha_…" he whispered, then began to rock her gently as she stopped whimpering and her eyes widened and focused on his face above her

Satisfied, Lord Elrond left the Prince's side and strode over to join King Thranduil in the doorway, where they could watch the reunion between father and daughter unfold.

"_Venudi'_…" Legolas smiled as he looked down lovingly at the infant and she yawned and then cooed at him, flexing her hand around his finger, "_Venui… _Lyric. That is what your mother wished to call you when you arrived and, therefore, that is what you shall be called from this day forward."

Thranduil cast a sideways glance at Lord Elrond and smirked, "Well, it seems my granddaughter finally has a name."

Lord Elrond stepped closer and placed a kind hand on Thranduil's shoulder.

"And it's a fine one," he said softly


End file.
